Wisdom
Chapter 9
Send Her From Heaven
God of our ancestors and Lord of mercy, whose word created all things and
who, in Wisdom, formed humanity to govern your creation,
to rule the world in holiness and justice, passing judgment with right judgment,
give me Wisdom that sits beside your throne and do not reject me from among your children.
For I am your servant, son of your handmaid, a weak and mortal man with little understanding of judgment and laws.
Even the most perfect among us is nothing unless he receives Wisdom that comes from you.
You have chosen me as king for your people, as judge over your sons and daughters.
You have commanded me to build a temple on your holy mountain and an altar in the city where you dwell, following the pattern of the holy tent that was yours from the beginning.
With you is Wisdom, who knows your works and was present when you made the world, understanding what is pleasing in your eyes and what is right according to your commandments.
Send her from the holy heavens, dispatch her from your heavenly throne to work beside me so that I may understand what is pleasing to you.
For she understands everything and will guide my actions with wisdom and protect me with her power.
Then my deeds will please you, and I will judge your people fairly and be worthy of my father’s throne.
Indeed, who can know the intentions of God? Who can understand the plan of the Lord?
For Human reasoning is timid, and our notions are often misleading;
a perishable body burdens the soul, and our tent of clay weighs down the active mind.
We can barely understand earthly matters, and it is difficult to grasp what is near to us; so who can hope to comprehend heavenly things?
Who has ever known your will unless you first give him Wisdom and send down your holy Spirit to him?
In this way, you guide humanity on the right path; they learn what pleases you and find salvation through Wisdom.
Commentaries
Final Judgment.
The wise man and the fool are the two extremes in this first section. The former acknowledges himself as part of God’s plan; the latter, on the other hand, relies solely on his own strength. According to the book of Wisdom, God’s judgment will come relentlessly upon the wicked as punishment. Two thousand years later, this message still holds relevance: those who know God understand they are in his hands, part of his plan, established long ago.
Send Her From Heaven.
The words of chapter nine recall Solomon’s prayer when God appears to him in a dream and asks him to ask for whatever he desires (1 Kgs 3:5-9; 2 Chr 1:8-10). The king invokes wisdom (4:10:17), which he particularly needs for his role as administrator of justice (3:5:9:12:18), since wisdom is the true transmitter of the divine will. This passage applies to any ruler. Human beings are insignificant without the help of wisdom, especially when it comes to administering justice, their primary duty.